How I Built This with Guy Raz

LÄRABAR: Lara Merriken (2018)

Oct 28, 2019

Lara Merriken, the founder of LÄRABAR, shares her inspiring journey from social work to creating a thriving energy bar brand. She reveals how personal challenges inspired her passion for natural foods and her experimental approach in the kitchen. Lara navigated the uncertainties of entrepreneurship, overcoming skepticism while launching her product at Whole Foods. After remarkable growth, she faced the emotional complexities of selling to General Mills, a testament to her dedication and innovative spirit in building a beloved brand.

54:15

Episode guests

Lara Merriken

AI Chapters

Episode notes

Intro

3min

From Social Work to Snack Revolution

22min

Navigating the Uncertainty of Entrepreneurship

4min

From Concept to Launch: The Larabar Journey

15min

From Startup to Acquisition: Navigating Rapid Growth

8min

Building a Brand: Larabar and Distraction-Free Solutions

3min

Modernizing Pinball: A Journey of Innovation

4min

Innovative Evolution of Pinball: The P3 Experience

2min

In 2000, Lara Merriken was 32, recently divorced, and without a job when she decided to make energy bars by mixing cherries, dates, and almonds in her Cuisinart. Eventually, she perfected the recipe and launched her company: LÄRABAR. After just two years, the company was bringing in millions in revenue. In 2008, she sold to General Mills, but stayed on to help grow LÄRABAR into one of the biggest energy bar brands in the U.S. PLUS in our post-script "How You Built That," we check back with Gerry Stellenberg who combined his knack for technology with his love of pinball to create a company for modern pinball enthusiasts called Multimorphic. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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